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Unpacking the Benefits of Garmin Avionics Upgrades for Cessna Pilots
If you're a Cessna pilot, you understand the importance of having reliable and robust avionics equipment in order to provide a safe and enjoyable flying experience. With advancemen...
GTX345: The All-in-one Transponder Solution for ADS-B “Out” and “In”
The ADS-B compliant GTX 345 looks and operates like a standard Mode S transponder. It fits in the same 1.65-inch high slot in your avionics stack. It boasts a bright, sunlight-read...
Guide to Getting Your Aircraft Inspected
To ensure the safety of passengers and crew, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires a series of inspections for all aircraft.
GFC 600 Digital Autopilot Can Help Reduce Pilot Workload
Autopilot upgrades can help reduce the pilot's workload and improve safety. Many newer autopilot systems include features such as automatic heading tracking, which maintains the ai...
What is FIS-B And How Does it Work?
You've probably heard of FIS-B. But perhaps you're not exactly sure what it is, or how it works? In this blog post, we'll explain what FIS-B is, and how it benefits pilots and airc...
Avionics Upgrades That Add Long Term Value
When it comes to upgrading your aircraft avionics, there are a few key areas that you should focus on in order to improve both the aircrafts usefulness and safety and add long term...
It's Simple to Upgrade Your GTN to GTN Xi
Pilots rely on GPS navigators to provide precision guidance while in the air. The Garmin GTN series is a popular option for many private aircraft owners. However, the release of th...
Dynon's SkyView: Clean and Intuitive Interface for Every Flying Style
Dynon's SkyView is a revolutionary new pilot interface that has taken the aviation world by storm. This intuitive and easy-to-use system provides pilots with a clean and concise di...
For Premium Avionics Upgrades, We Turn To Avidyne
It's no secret that avionics upgrades can be costly, but when you want the best of the best in terms of performance and safety, there's simply no other option. For our premium avio...
King Air 200 Aircraft Owners Get Access to Garmin TXi EIS
Many Beechcraft King Air 200 pilots and owners have reason to celebrate. On April 14, 2022, Garmin announced that expanded engine monitoring capability is now available for select ...
Upgrade Your Cockpit with Modern Avionics
Flying with outdated avionics is a thing of the past…literally. With the advent of smartphones, smartwatches, smart TVs, and smart cars, it only makes sense to upgrade your avionic...
Are Avionics Upgrades Worth It?
Approximately 30,000 turbine-powered aircraft have been manufactured within the United States over the past 50 years, and many of these planes are still in use today. Technologies,...
4 Best Cessna 182 Avionics Upgrades
The Cessna 182 Skylane was introduced to the market in 1956 and remains in production, with more than 23,000 built to date. The four-seat single-engine plane is built in Wichita, K...
Garmin Avionics Upgrade Path for Legacy Aircraft
Sparkchasers has a long-standing legacy of making planes smarter, safer, and most importantly, more fun to fly. With more than 75 years of cumulative, hands-on experience, we take ...
Don't Ignore Your Vacuum Pump
Vacuum pumps provide the suction needed to power in-flight instruments. They have been a part of aviation for many years and are still installed in a majority of piston-powered air...
Garmin G5 Panel Upgrades
The Garmin G5 system panel upgrade is one of the most common upgrades Sparkchasers Aircraft Services performs. The all-electronic flight instrument system delivers outstanding perf...
Life in an FAA Repair Station During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This year has been weird. Just weird. For the past 3-4 years it’s been all that we can do at Sparkchasers to keep up with the demand of continually learning new products that are b...
Avidyne's Digital Autopilot- The DFC 90.
The Avidyne DFC90 is a great upgrade for Cirrus owners who have the STEC- 55X system in their airplane. It adds the precision and safety of an digital autopilot. On all of our flig...
Good pilots are always learning.
How many of you have heard the saying “There are Old pilots and Bold Pilots but there are no Old, Bold pilots” and wondered exactly what that means? In my opinion, it means that th...
New Garmin Software Improves Situational Awareness!
If you are getting ready for a summer trip to Michigan or gearing up for your annual pilgrimage to OshKosh AirVenture, I'm about to talk about something you will probably be intere...
Airborne Vlog: The GNX 375
In this airborne VLOG, We go on a flight to Harnett Regional Airport and have a quick conversation on the GNX 375 and where it fits in the General Aviation market today. We highlig...
$500 ADS-B Rebate
The FAA has reinstated the ADS-B Rebate, but the rebates are limited and time is running out as the program ends on October 11, 2019. Are you eligible to receive it? There are seve...
11 Months... ADS-B Deadline
11 months left till this “ADS-B” mandate is mandatory. So what should you do? There are multiple options to become ADS-B Compliant but I believe as you look to become compliant you...
Missed Opportunities By Aircraft Owners
I’ve blogged before about the effects of the Part 23 rewrite on the general aviation industry and how technology advances in this industry have increased in the past couple years u...
What are People Buying at Sparkchasers?
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been training another Sparkchasers employee, Kristian Butler, so he can begin a transition from a technician in operations into a sales role. ...
Most Exciting Development from Osh 18
In late July of every year pilots, aircraft owners, and aviation enthusiasts make an annual pilgrimage to Oshkosh, WI for the EAA AirVenture Airshow. It is a time to connect with o...
#OSH18
As I was flying back to Sparkchasers, I was looking back over my first Oshkosh experience (it will not be my last!). I learned some interesting things from sitting in seminars, tal...
From the Marines to General Aviation | Tool Control
”Private Butler, call my wife and tell her because of a tool you lost in a plane, I’ve been in a horrible Helicopter accident and that's all we know right now.” That's what my Serg...
To: The Passengers
Today I thought we would do a little something different. Rather than writing a blog for the person sitting in the pilot’s seat, I thought I would write something for the people si...
Is it Time To Get Connected?
Is it time to get connectivity in your aircraft? This blog focuses on Bluetooth connectivity from your mobile devices to your avionics equipment. We show you one of the simple solu...
VLOG: Electronic Flight Instruments/ Glass panel
Are you thinking about replacing some of your old analog instruments with the some new electronic flight instruments? In this vlog, we discuss the Garmin G5 and the Aspen E5. We al...
VLOG: Digital Auto-Pilot Reviews
Are you trying to figure out all these new digital auto-pilots that have hit the Aviation market in the last 12 months? Sparkchaser devoted this video to talking about three of the...
Cyber Threats to Aircraft?
One of the most trending topics in the world today is Cyber Security and/or Cyber Terror. Hacking and cyber exploits have been around for a very long time, but the sophistication o...
Good, Cheap, and Fast
I took my very first trip to an Aldi’s grocery store a couple of weeks ago. For years, I have had friends that have sworn by their value and convenience as a grocery store, but I h...
General Aviation Maintenance Concerns
I talk to aircraft owners on a daily basis about installations and maintenance for their aircraft and I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that I often walk away from those conversations ...
VLOG: The Blooper Reel
So, this week we give you absolutely no educational value in our VLOG. If you are looking for educational content, this weeks VLOG is not it. We decided to put together a blooper r...
VLOG: Garmin GFC 500 Digital Autopilots
Garmin Autopilots are digital and it seems that everyone is asking about them. We have been putting them is all make and model airplanes ranging from Mooney, Cessna and Beechcraft....
VLOG: Can You Say Malarkey?
Here we go again with an interesting word and this weeks Aviation word is malarkey. We've got some malarkey going on at the shop this week and the Piper Cherokee is finally moving ...
VLOG: What is a Boondoggle?
In this episode of "Making Airplanes Better" we're talking about boondoggles in Aviation and we're getting an update on the progress of the Piper Cherokee 180. We hope you enjoy it...
VLOG: First Time 4 Everything
There has to be a first time for everything in Aviation and this just happens to be our first every VLOG which is basically a video version of a BLOG. Check it out and tell us what...
We're Focused on 2018
It’s late January but it’s still hard to believe we’re in 2018. It feels like the months fly by here at Sparkchasers and the next thing we know it will be time for Sun ‘n Fun 2018....
Auto-Pilots & Industry Progress
I gotta say that I hope that our industry sees as much progress in 2018 that we saw in 2017! Like it or not, we’re part of an industry that is notoriously slow with progress. For m...
All I want for Christmas…
The Christmas season is upon us and I’m sure you are all getting the same questions I am getting. What do you want for Christmas? What do you think your brother would like? Persona...
The Free Stuff Keeps Getting Better!
In the spirit of being thankful and in the season of giving, I thought it would be a good time to share some good news. I don’t know what your flying mission is, but a great deal o...
Blue Light Special? Not So Much
Growing up I can remember Kmart’s infamous Blue Light Special deals and the announcements you would hear over the loudspeakers. Many thought this was the “cat’s meow” of all deals ...
Good Ole Garmin
Reservations Closed!
Whoa...What a week? The FAA ADS-B rebate website now says the “Reservations Closed” but we’re still 2 years and 3+ months from the airspace mandate going into effect. From a sales ...
Myth or Truth? Sorting Out the Propaganda
Sun ‘n Fun is over. The Oshkosh Air Adventure is over. Many of the industry trade shows are also complete for 2017, but what is not over is the propaganda regarding ADS-B and the F...
My Oshkosh Adventure...
How are you challenging yourself?
The Infamous Question.. Garmin or Avidyne?
What to do for ADS-B
Working in an FAA certified repair station leads to a day full of diversity. We work on a bunch of different kinds of aircraft, do everything from an IFR certification to installin...
All Things Unmanned
I spent the day at the AUVSI show today in Dallas where we go to explore “all things unmanned.” I found this show to be much different than last year’s show in New Orleans so I tho...
The Yellow Peril Gets New Ears
Our clients needed quiet communication for a noisy Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3. We installed a custom solution with a new PS Engineering PM-1200 intercom system that allows both V...
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